A Haunted Christmas
by DiNozzos probie
Summary: It's Christmas time! I meant to have this ready in time for Christmas, but once again real life got in the way. Then New Years came and went. Sigh … This is pre-slash. I haven't decided yet if there will be a slashy follow up!


**A HAUNTED CHRISTMAS**

Call it suspended belief or AU, I'm not sticking to any canon or timeline. Anyhoo, two stubborn men in denial about their feelings are haunted by "ghosts" - real or imagined; I'll let you decide. The weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday take their toll on our heroes. Gibbs gets waylaid by visitors at home and at the diner, while Tony begins to dread the elevator at work for fear of encountering his. As luck would have it, fate steps in on Christmas Eve …

Warning: No beta!

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters or places. I am making no money from this work of fiction. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

Gibbs picked at the scrambled eggs on his plate. He was hungry and the diner food was delicious, but he couldn't bring himself to eat another bite. Elaine, always great about taking care of her loyal customers, made the rounds to make sure his coffee was always topped off.

Across the table, Mike Franks crossed his arms across his chest and scowled.

"Dammit, Probie! I've always thought you were more bent than straight. Don't matter how many red headed women you married. I know you better than you do! Do what you gotta do, but don't wait too long. He's always got someone sniffing around him, guys _and_ dames, so if you don't claim him and soon, someone else will."

"You're not gonna drop it, are you? Just gonna keep showing up here and bugging me, aren't you?" Gibbs demanded.

Franks shrugged.

"I got nowhere else to be, Probie," was the chuckled reply.

Elaine stopped mid pour and looked at her favorite customer with concern. Over the course of the past few weeks, she had noticed that he had lost weight, weight he could ill afford to lose, and dark circles had taken up residence under his tired eyes. What concerned her most, however, were the outbursts directed at the empty bench seat across the table from him.

"You better get busy and eat, or your breakfast is gonna get cold," Elaine chided softly.

Gibbs looked up at Elaine and tried to smile. He was exhausted, and he was pretty sure it showed.

In addition to his appetite, sleep had abandoned him. Thanks to sniper training he had learned to cope with less than a full eight hours of sleep, but he couldn't remember when he got more than two or three hours on any given night. He wasn't a young soldier anymore and at his age, lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll.

To appease Elaine, Gibbs raised a forkful of hash browns and shoved them in his mouth. He washed them down with a big gulp of coffee. He smiled at Elaine, who chuckled and patted his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Gibbs?" she asked. At Gibbs look of surprise, she continued. "It's just that I've noticed you haven't been eating very much lately, and pardon me for saying so but you look like hell. Hon, even _you_ can't live on coffee alone."

Gibbs snorted.

"Yeah, just have a lot on my mind. The holidays, you know," he fibbed.

"Uh huh. Try again," Elaine scolded. She leaned down to speak directly into Gibbs' ear. "You want to tell me who you've been talking to and arguing with, sitting here all by yourself?"

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs asked in protest.

"Now don't you take that tone with me! This isn't the first time I've seen you _and_ heard you. You got some ghosts to deal with or something?"

Gibbs sighed. If she only knew. He fished out his wallet and dropped several bills on the table. He knew it would be plenty to cover his check and a generous tip.

Scooting out the booth, he kissed Elaine on the cheek before heading for the door.

"Let's just leave it at or something, okay?"

"Fine. You have a lovely day, Gibbs. I'll see you later."

With a wink, Gibbs was gone.

* * *

Tony tugged at the collar of his sweater. He had forgotten how scratchy his festive Christmas sweaters were. Normally he would have worn a button down or at least a t-shirt under it as a barrier, but for some reason he skipped that step while getting dressed.

He dreaded Christmas and all of the fake cheer that went along with it. Christmas had never been a reason for celebration. Being brought up with all of the trappings of wealth didn't guarantee a merry Christmas, especially after losing his mother. Tony's mom made the holidays bearable, mostly by shielding him from his dad and his surly moods. During the holidays the alcohol flowed freely and Senior was happy to imbibe. It must have been torture for Tony's mother as she struggled with alcoholism, though she played the dutiful wife and never complained. They made the expected annual pilgrimage to church. Tony thought the candlelight service was pretty and he liked singing all of the Christmas songs, but he didn't understand a single thing the minister was saying. Christmas was just about Santa Claus and presents and keeping up appearances; it certainly wasn't about the miraculous birth of some baby.

They put up every pretense of being a close loving family, but it was all for show. The only real saving grace was the time Tony spent in the company of the cook and members of the staff who actually made him feel wanted and loved. They played with him and made time for him. If Tony wanted affection, he didn't need to go further than the kitchen of his parent's huge house. Their cook, Carlotta, doted on Tony and over the years taught him everything he knew about cooking and baking. She didn't have any children of her own so she was more than happy to stop what she was doing to lavish attention on Tony, who adored her in return.

For the first time in many years, Tony actually hoped the team would catch a case. They were on-call, so it was likely they would. Focusing on a case would spare him from having to plead with his work family to eat caramel corn tomorrow and watch "It's A Wonderful Life" with him. That was the one DiNozzo Christmas Eve tradition that Tony held dear, even if he had to watch alone. He'd rather be curled up on the couch by a roaring fire with the object of his desires by his side, but since that apparently wasn't in the cards his work family in the theater seating of MTAC would have to do.

"Hey Tony, you okay man?" McGee asked. "You don't look so good."

As if on cue, Tony yawned again and stretched. Under normal circumstances he would reply with some salacious story about his latest conquest keeping him up late at night, but he just didn't have the energy to concoct a suitable lie. He favored McGee with a small fake smile instead.

"M'fine, McNosy."

Before he could retort further, the elevator dinged and Gibbs slowly strode into the bullpen.

"Morning, Boss!" Tony and McGee greeted in unison.

"Good morning, Gibbs," Ellie replied sweetly without looking up.

Gibbs stopped short and stood in front of Tony's desk. When Tony looked up from a case file he was jotting notes in, Gibbs cocked his head.

"You okay? You look like hell, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated.

Tony frowned and replied with a sharp, "Gee thanks. First McGee, now you. Anything you care to add, Bishop?"

Ellie looked up and gaped at Tony, who pushed his chair back with such force it crashed into his credenza and stood. He snatched the empty American Pie coffee mug and rounded his desk, ignoring Gibbs, on his way to the break room.

"I'm going for coffee," Tony announced over his shoulder.

Gibbs grumbled. He stored his gun and badge in his desk, slammed the drawer, and stabbed at the power button on his computer. He did not notice the looks of concern that passed between Ellie and McGee.

* * *

Just before noon, Gibbs' phone rang. He answered with a terse, "Yeah Gibbs," then began jotting down information from the dispatcher.

"Grab your gear. We got a case," Gibbs called out as he handed Ellie a slip of paper. "McGee, gas the truck. Bishop, call Ducky. DiNozzo, you're with me."

"Where we going, Boss?" McGee asked.

"Quantico. Dead Marine. Let's move!"

Tony wasn't happy about a dead Marine, but he was grateful for the respite from the holiday. His relief was, however, short lived.

Not only was the alleged victim not a Marine, he wasn't even dead! As it turned out, a group of analysts at the FBI field office at Quantico got bored and decided to play a little prank on one of their own; a prank which took on a life of its own resulting in NCIS being called out to investigate. Tony, Ellie, and McGee joined a very perturbed Ducky and Palmer and watched as Gibbs gave the "pencil necks" a thorough and very public dressing down for wasting his time and NCIS resources.

When the team returned to NCIS, they discovered that during their 3-hour absence the bullpen had been transformed into a Christmas wonderland, replete with lights, garlands, and festive holiday music blaring from McGee's computer. Abby! Gibbs had put the kibosh on bullpen decorations. Abby was free to decorate her lab as she saw fit, but the bullpen was Gibbs' domain and he called the shots. He hadn't forgotten about the time Tony went overboard and freaked out of Ziva and McGee with flashing lights, firecrackers, and confetti flying everywhere. For a Scrooge like Gibbs it was enough that the official NCIS Christmas tree and toy donation box were parked in front of the big windows overlooking the Navy Yard.

Tony, Ellie and McGee all perked up at the hints of yuletide happiness, but Ebenezer Gibbs put a stop to that in short order.

"DiNozzo, go check in with Abby. She said she has some ballistics reports in the Meadows case," Gibbs barked. He tore down the garland adorning the edge of his desk.

"Uh, you got it Boss," Tony said tiredly as he stood and headed for the dreaded elevator. If he wasn't so tired, he would have taken the stairs.

When the doors opened, Tony was grateful that there was no one in the elevator. He stepped in, pressed the button for Abby's floor, then leaned against the cool metal wall and closed his eyes. Maybe just this once the ghosts would leave him alone. No such luck.

* * *

"Tony, Tony, Tony."

Tony cracked an eye open to see a shadowy version of the late Ned Dorneget shaking his head ruefully at him.

"Oh no," Tony groaned. "Not you again."

This was not the first visit from the Ghost of Ned Dorneget. In fact, Tony was finding it impossible to get in an elevator without someone from his past making an appearance. If it wasn't Dorneget, it was Kate or Ziva. Last he knew, Ziva was still alive and well in Israel, so why was _she _haunting him? Whatever the reason, it was proof that insomnia was a bitch! Tony wondered if anyone else planned on making an appearance. It was turning into a creepy version of "This Is Your Life".

"What do you want?" Tony asked with a tired sigh.

"I'm here to save you from yourself. Look, I know I'm not or never was your bestie or anything, and you probably never even considered me a friend, not really, but come _on_! Even I can see that you would totally go gay for Special Agent Gibbs. Can't blame you. He is pretty hot, for an older guy. He's definitely not _my _type, whatever my type is. Agent Gibbs still scares the hell out of me, but you guys would be hot together."

Tony fixed a full glare on Ned.

"One problem with your theory there, Dorney. Gibbs isn't gay. Neither am I. No matter how many times we have this little chat, it ain't happening, so drop it!"

Ned rolled his eyes.

"Right. You haven't been lying awake every night fantasizing about Agent Gibbs. You can't sleep because if you do you'll dream about him, am I right?"

Tony continued to glare. The elevator arrived at Abby's floor with a ding.

"Always lovely chatting with you, now leave me alone," Tony demanded as Dorneget shrugged and disappeared just as the doors opened.

As expected, Abby's lab was festooned with garlands and strings of lights draped over everything. The skeleton in the corner was dressed in a very skinny Santa suit. She was singing along to classic Christmas carols playing on her inner office stereo.

Thankfully Abby was too busy juggling several cases to pester him about how pale he was, the dark circles under his eyes, or how he had lost weight. All she said was that he and Gibbs both looked "like crap" and the two of them "need to talk before one or both of you drops dead."

Tony took the ballistics report file and beat a hasty retreat, but not before snagging an offered Christmas cookie on his way out. He cursed under his breath a few moments later. 'Should have taken the damn stairs', he thought to himself.

"This has got to be a joke," Tony muttered under his breath. Backed up against the wall, he looked between the two diminutive women standing before him.

In her judgmental tone, Kate was the first to speak.

"Oh my God, DiNozzo! Do I literally have to spell it out for you. Did you not see Gibbs' reaction and the way he looked at you after the little iguana incident in Cuba? How jealous he was of Agent Cassidy, or the other women you constantly talk about? Never mind the time we all had to shower together. And all of those head slaps? You know you secretly love them, and I know how much Gibbs loves giving them to you. Really, are you that blind?"

"Do not be an ass, Tony," Ziva chimed in as she pulled a knife from her back pocket and began to clear her fingernails. "You have always had a crush on Gibbs, no? I have seen it. Kate has seen it. It is so oblivious. Be a man for once in your life and tell Gibbs how you feel. If you do not, you will regret it."

"She's right, DiNozzo. I _have_ seen it. So has McGee, and Ducky, and Abby, and, well, pretty much everyone," Kate responded with a nod.

Tony blinked and set his jaw.

"First, the word is 'obvious' Zee-vah. Second, what the hell, Kate? For someone as uptight as you, I thought you were against this kind of thing."

Kate shot her go-to, toe-tapping, cocked head, sanctimonious look at Tony.

"Being raised Catholic I am … was. But let's just say I've had a lot of time to … reflect. I've been watching. You're miserable and so is Gibbs. I'm going crazy watching you two avoid whatever it is going on between you, so just get over it already."

Tony gaped at Kate while Ziva stood in solidarity and nodded.

* * *

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked. He marched to his desk after giving the elevator a parting scowl.

McGee was shutting down his computer and shrugging into his coat. He wondered why Tony was out of breath, but out of respect for his past bout with the plague, he didn't ask.

"He went home. Told us to pack it in and be back tomorrow at 0800. Bishop and I were gonna meet Deliliah for a quick drink. You wanna join us?"

"What? Gibbs left? While the sun is still kind of up, while we're on-call?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah, I thought it was weird too," Ellie offered. "But he said there wasn't any point in hanging around here since we don't have a case. You coming with us?"

Tony shook his head and dropped the ballistics report file on Gibbs' desk. He was confused. Why would Gibbs leave when he knew damn well there was a big pile of cold case files on his desk waiting for the MCRT to review.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. Thanks for the invite, though. I'm just gonna check on a couple of things then head home. Go. I'll see you both in the morning."

McGee walked over and looked at Tony.

"Don't stay too long, okay Tony. We're all worried about you. Go home, get something to eat, and for God's sake get some sleep."

Tony nodded.

"Yeah, sleep. Interesting concept," he muttered under his breath. He grabbed a cold case file from on top of the pile and flipped through the scant pages as he walked across the bullpen to his desk. Since he had nowhere else to be, Tony turned on his desk lamp and began a closer review of the reports contained in the file.

* * *

Gibbs wiped the sweat from his brow. How long he had been lost sweeping sawdust into a huge pile he couldn't say, but the basement was the one place where the ghosts stayed away except for the ghosts of his girls. They used to be fairly frequent visitors, Kelly more than Shannon, but it had been ages since he had seen them last. He hoped they would find a way to visit him on Christmas if only for a few moments.

"So, I have to come all the way down here to your dusty basement to talk some sense into you? Is that how this is going to work, Jethro?" Jenny Shepard asked.

Gibbs looked up to find her dressed in a power suit, leaning against the workbench holding a gleaming crystal tumbler of what he could only imagine as being 18-year old single malt scotch. She must have brought it with her, because the best he had to offer was a 2-year old bottle of Jack Daniels served in a chipped coffee mug.

"What do you want, Jen?" Gibbs asked as he stepped over to the workbench. He had grabbed the dustpan from a hook on the wall, but dropped it on the workbench when Jenny appeared. He needed a drink!

If Franks was going to pester him at the diner, it made sense that Jenny would pester him at home. Gibbs looked to see if she brought reinforcements. Of course she had; her rule of never going anywhere without backup was in full play.

"Hello, Leroy," Jackson greeted as he slowly descended the stairs.

Gibbs gaped at his visitors. He pulled a bottle from a cabinet above the workbench and poured himself a generous amount of Jack. He pulled up a dusty saw horse at the far end of the workbench … and sat and waited. He shook his head at the unnatural alliance of his former paramour and his father standing together in his basement.

"Dad, may I ask what brings _you _here? What brings the two of you here?" Gibbs demanded.

"Now Jethro. No need to be so petulant! We are just here to make sure _you _don't end up making a huge mistake," Jenny teased.

"And what mistake would that be, Jen?" Gibbs asked. He knew what she meant; this was a sick rerun of the same pointless 'conversation' they've had many times over the last couple of months. His patience was at an end.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you know damn well what she's talking about! You're shutting yourself off from people who care about you, and especially from one who cares about you, probably more than you deserve. You're already a miserable bastard, but you're gonna end up sad and alone if you don't do something about it," Jackson scolded.

At Gibbs' raised eyebrows, Jenny took a sip of her drink and snorted.

"Yes, Jethro, he's talking about Tony," she said in a low, almost sultry, no-nonsense tone. She strode over to Gibbs, her Jimmy Choo heels clicking on the concrete in a steady cadence.

"Agent DiNozzo has always done anything and everything to get your attention and your approval. He's been like a love sick puppy following your every move from his first day at NCIS. For years now, and all you've done is push him away. He's not going to give up on you, Jethro. He doesn't want the beautiful wife, kids, house on the hill, American dream. God help him, he wants you! He'll keep dating beautiful women and bide his time, but he'll wait as long as he has to because you're the one he really wants."

Gibbs stood hoping to put some distance between himself and Jenny. Even after all these years her dominant presence could be unsettling.

Jackson moved in closer and glared at his son. Gibbs felt cornered.

"It's past time you admitted that boy means the world to you. I like your Tony. I like him a lot. He's good for you. Hell, I wouldn't have given him my favorite sweater all those years ago if I didn't think so. Problem is, he's as stubborn as you are, and that's sayin' a lot! He calls you "Boss" for crying out loud! You think he's gonna make the first move? Wake up, son, or you're gonna lose him - for good," Jackson declared. He continued with the patented Gibbs glare.

"You're crazy, both of you. For the last time, he's not _my _Tony! Now I'll tell you two what I told Mike Franks, let it go and leave it alone!" Gibbs growled and turned his back on his guests.

Jackson and Jenny looked at each other and grinned, then shimmered and disappeared. Gibbs knew that wasn't the end of it; they _would _be back. He wondered if there was any place left where he could go to find some peace.

Later, as Gibbs lay in bed staring at the ceiling, hoping that sleep would take him, his father appeared in the doorway - this time alone.

"Jesus, Dad!" Gibbs shouted.

"Sorry, son," he said softly as he shuffled towards the bed. "Didn't mean to frighten you. Hoping with us alone I can maybe talk some sense into you. I just don't want you to end up spending your last years alone like I did. Do this old man a favor and listen to your heart for once."

Gibbs sat up and leaned against the headboard. The digital clock next to him read 11:15 p.m.

"Why _you _Dad? Why you and Jenny … and Mike Franks?"

Jackson nodded. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked Gibbs in the eye.

"You mean why haven't Shannon and Kelly shown up to try and talk some sense into you? I'll tell you why. Those two girls of yours have saved you too many times already. Every time you've gotten into trouble, serious trouble, they've been there to save you and send you back to us. You've drowned, you've been shot and blown up, but every time they sent you back. And who was the one person always there waiting for you? That's right, Tony. Your beautiful girls keep telling you to be happy, but you don't listen to them any better than you ever listened to me or any of those wives of yours. We've done all we can do, Leroy. It's time for you to figure this out on your own."

And with that solemn warning, Jackson stood and vanished into the darkness. Gibbs settled back in, closed his eyes, and for the first time in over a month fell into a restful sleep.

* * *

It was 0800 Christmas Eve morning, and still no case. Tony leaned against the windows and looked at the heavy snow coming down. The grounds of the Navy Yard looked pretty with a coating of fresh white snow. Tony was relieved when the elevator dinged and McGee and Ellie walked into the bullpen. With the sole exception of Gibbs, everyone on his team had made the treacherous trek to work safely. He had already called Autopsy and the Forensics Lab to make sure Abby, Ducky and Palmer had arrived without incident. Tony was about to ring Gibbs for the tenth time when the elevator dinged. He turned to see Gibbs, large coffee in hand, walking toward him with a smile on his face.

Since Major Mass Spec was throwing a major tantrum, the impromptu team Christmas party Abby had planned for after work in her lab got incorporated into Tony's annual showing of "It's A Wonderful Life" in MTAC. The team spent the day reviewing cold cases while waiting for a call from dispatch. Tony had selected a few cases from the pile that look promising and left one on McGee and Ellie's desks.

The Meadows case he had kept for himself was threatening to heat up. Navy Commander James Meadows died under suspicious circumstances three years earlier, but Ducky hadn't been able to declare if his death was due to a "malicious act" or if it was an "unfortunate misadventure", or "quite possibly a tragic suicide". Bottom line, the Commander was found face down on his garage floor with his decorative ceremonial sword plunged through his heart. He also had a .22 bullet hole in his right temple.

Tony agonized over the file. He knew he was missing something, and he was determined to find the missing clue.

Vance sent all non-essential personnel home at 1400 due to it being Christmas Eve, and the fact that a major winter storm was forecast for the evening that would likely shut down most of the city. Tony invited Vance to join the team in MTAC, but he declined.

Bundling up against the elements, Vance replied, "Thank you, Agent DiNozzo, but my wife _will_ cancel Christmas if I don't get home before dark. Gibbs, your team's on-call ends at 2300. If you don't catch a case by then, and even if you do, let me wish you all a Merry Christmas. I'm sorry you have to spend it here instead of with your families."

Gibbs nodded and returned the greeting.

"Thank you, and a Merry Christmas to you, Sir," Tony replied.

"_Well, might as well get this over with,"_ Tony thought as he watched Vance disappear behind the metal elevator doors. He turned to see his team staring at him.

A moment later, Abby bound into the bullpen with Ducky and Palmer in tow. She brought with her two big Tupperware bowls of Tony's homemade caramel corn that he had left in her care and a box full of decorated shortbread cookies she had picked up from the local bakery.

"Yay, no case so we can watch Tony's movie together!" Abby chirped happily. She hugged each member of Team Gibbs and led them up the stairs to MTAC. McGee had already set it up so that any calls into Gibbs' desk phone would go to his cell.

Gibbs stood back and watched Tony slowly climb the stairs. He looked defeated and Gibbs had no idea why. He knew Tony had been dealing with bouts of insomnia lately, or so he had claimed, but there was more at play than just lack of sleep. His spirit was broken. Was it because of him? Had he done that much damage to his friend and second in command? Were the hunched shoulders, gaunt appearance, and lack of holiday spirit his doing? Had he really been pushing Tony away? What could he do to fix it?

He may have been tagged as an "antisocial bastard" by those in the know, but Gibbs secretly looked forward to sitting next to Tony and watching the movie. Actually, Gibbs spent more time watching Tony watch the movie, but it still counted as being social, right? Gibbs trotted up the stairs to join Tony. He placed a firm hand on Tony's shoulder, stopping him dead in his tracks. Tony turned his head to see Gibbs smiling at him. Shocked to see Gibbs looking so cheerful, Tony smiled a genuine smile back.

"You know Gibbs, you don't have to do this. I know old movies aren't really your thing," Tony said.

"No, I like this movie. We didn't get to watch it last year, so if we don't get called out we should be able to watch the whole thing," Gibbs replied as they reached the mezzanine outside of MTAC. He put his eye up to the retina scanner to unlock the door. The others had already taken their seats.

Claire, the sole tech on station, offered to stay to help Tony cue up the movie. She would keep one eye on the screen while continuing to monitor open communications channels. Terrorists didn't take the day off just because it was Christmas, and there had been considerable chatter as of late.

MTAC made for a nice little movie theater when secret ops weren't being broadcast. Everyone sat close enough together so that the bowls of caramel corn could be shared. Everyone had brought with them their drink of choice. Tony nodded for Claire to hit play. The sound of the opening sequence of the movie filled MTAC.

Tony kept his running commentary to a minimum. He found the two serenading cops being named Bert and Ernie the only thing worth pointing out. As the ending credits began to roll McGee elbowed a softly snoring Palmer in the ribs to wake him up, earning a chuckle from Ducky. The lights slowly came up. It was nearing 2130 and still no call from dispatch.

Gibbs gut told him that they would not get called out, so he decided to send everyone home.

"Go on home people. Big storm is coming in and I don't want any of you out driving in it. Be careful out there. Duck, my door is open if you don't want to drive all the way to Reston. Don't any of you come in tomorrow unless _I call you_ that we have a case," Gibbs ordered.

"But Gibbs, I still have tests running in my lab. They should be done by now. It's the Meadows DNA we finally got from Metro. I also re-ran some fingerprints and ballistics using some updated programs," Abby reported.

"Go Gibbs, I got this," Tony offered. His case, his lead.

Not liking how tired Tony looked, Gibbs replied, "No, you and I got this. Abby, head on down and we'll be there in a minute. The rest of you go before I find a reason to keep you here."

Palmer, Ducky, McGee and Ellie headed for the door without argument, throwing "good nights" and "Merry Christmases" at Tony, Gibbs and Abby. Palmer included an assurance that he would make sure that "Dr. Mallard" got home safe and sound.

Claire stepped out to refill her coffee, leaving Tony and Gibbs standing alone in MTAC. They were soon joined by John, another tech assigned to man the console with Claire during the overnight.

"Okay, let's go DiNozzo. We'll see what Abby's got and then I'm taking you home. You look like you're half asleep already, so you are in no condition to drive," Gibbs said.

Too tired to argue, Tony replied with a nod, "Whatever you say, Boss. Thanks for your help Claire, Merry Christmas!"

John looked confused as Claire stopped on her way down the ramp to the console and smiled at Tony.

"You're very welcome. Merry Christmas to you, too."

Suddenly the lights in MTAC went out leaving only the new occupants of the seats they had just vacated illuminated. Tony and Gibbs traded a look and bolted for the door. They didn't notice the smirks and finger waves directed at them. Neither did Claire or John, who were focused on the monitors before them.

Tony almost had to run to catch up to Gibbs at the rear elevator. He was breathing hard when he reached him.

"You saw them too, didn't you? C'mon Gibbs. Tell me you saw them and I'm not going crazy," Tony demanded.

Gibbs didn't speak or look Tony in the eye until they were in the elevator behind closed doors. Unfortunately, they weren't alone.

Tony expected to find Dornie and/or Kate and Ziva, but Mike Franks, Director Shepard and Gibbs' dad, too? It was getting a bit crowded for Tony's liking.

"Shit!" Tony yelped in surprise to find that his ghosts had brought reinforcements. How could they all be in the elevator? Just a minute ago the whole group was sitting together in MTAC.

"Ziver, Kate, Agent Dorneget … this is a surprise," Gibbs stated. "What brings the three of you here?"

"So you do see them … all of them!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm _not _going crazy."

"No, Tony, you are not going crazy," Jenny replied.

Tony flinched and moved closer to Gibbs.

"Gibbs, what is going on?" Tony whispered.

Gibbs smirked and hit the stop switch bringing the elevator to a shuddering stop.

"I'll tell you what's going on. Looks like we've _both _had some visitors lately. Guess that's why you look like you haven't slept in days."

"You think, Gibbs?! I've been trying to avoid the elevator, but my little friends here keep popping up, and lately I see them every time I try and close my eyes."

"Uh huh," Gibbs replied. "And I can't go to the diner or my own damn basement!"

Jackson stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the group.

"Well Hell's bells, what are you two gonna do about it?" he demanded.

* * *

The normally short trip to Abby's lab seemed to take hours. One by one each visitor spoke in scolding tones. "Wake the hell up!" "Oh my God, are you both blind?" were common themes with shaking heads and pointed glares interspersed for effect.

By the time the elevator doors finally opened, Tony was in a near panic and Gibbs had a major headache building behind his eyes. The two men said nothing as they stepped off into the corridor outside Abby's lab. They heard soft instrumental Christmas music playing. Both men turned to make sure they weren't being followed. The elevator doors closed; the elevator was empty.

"Gibbs, I don't like this," Tony declared in a whisper.

Gibbs swallowed hard and replied, "Let's just get this over with and get out of here."

* * *

"Stop right there!" Abby ordered before Gibbs and Tony could cross the threshold into her lab. She grinned at the pair and pointed up to the sprig of mistletoe hanging in the doorway. Gibbs shot her a look of amused disapproval while Tony blushed down to his roots.

"Not you too, Abby," Tony mumbled tiredly.

"Whadya mean, too?" Abby replied.

"Nothing, Abs. Just … whadya got?" Gibbs demanded as he shouldered past her.

As expected, with the rapid advances in forensic testing Abby was able to match fingerprints lifted from the handle of the sword found at the Meadows scene to Randall Weir, a former neighbor currently serving 12 years for felony robbery. The only DNA at the scene belonged to Commander Meadows. Abby had test-fired a gun found at the scene and was able to confirm that the bullet Ducky removed from the Commander's brain was from the same gun.

"That's good work, Abby. Can you drive home or do you need a lift?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I'm good. I'll print you a copy of all of this stuff then go straight home, I promise. Gibbs, you made me get new tires last month, remember? I'll be fine."

"Okay then, c'mon, DiNozzo. Let's get you home. This Weir guy is locked up. He's not going anywhere. He can sit for a couple of days, then we'll bring murder charges. Go home, Abs. We're officially off call," Gibbs stated after placing a kiss on Abby's cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Gibbs. Merry Christmas, Tony," Abby said in a more sultry than necessary tone. She shooed Gibbs and Tony out the door then turned up the Christmas music and began the process of printing out the reports and shutting down all of her equipment.

Tony stopped short in the hallway.

"Uh Boss, can we please take the stairs? I don't want to take a chance on the elevator. It's getting too crowded in there," Tony begged.

Gibbs turned and favored Tony with a grin.

"What are you afraid of, Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"Afraid? Me? I'm not afraid - of anything. It's just, you know. Oh, come on, Gibbs! Are you telling me you're not freaked out about dead people from our pasts showing up all the time, and that they are trying to get us to hook up?"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. He expected Tony to protest and deny what their visitors were saying about his feelings, but he seemed more bashful than anything. Jackson's words came back to him - "_... what are you two gonna do about it? _

"Are they right?" Gibbs inquired.

"Right? About what?"

Gibbs stepped closer to Tony until he had him backed up against the wall. Tony's eyes went wide as he found himself trapped under the forceful gaze and dominant presence of Gibbs. The man had no concept of personal space. Tony swallowed hard.

"About us? You and me? I've had Jenny, Franks and my dad hounding me. For weeks they've been showing up. At home, at the diner, and finally here tonight. I'm guessing you've been dealing with Kate, Ziva and Dorneget," Gibbs said.

"Gibbs," Tony whispered. "I don't know what to do. Yeah, every time I get in an elevator, there they are. Or God forbid I try to sleep. I can't get away from them."

"There's one way to get rid of them, Tony," Abby announced from the doorway to her lab.

Bundled up in a thick down coat, hat, wool scarf and mittens with bats on them, she walked up to Tony and Gibbs and smiled. In her left hand was the big sprig of mistletoe that had been hanging in the doorway.

Tony and Gibbs looked at her quizzically.

"Give in and admit that they're right. I love you both more than anything, and you belong together. That's what they're telling you, right?"

Tony gaped at Abby.

"How … how did you know? I mean, how do you know that's what they've been saying? You're kind of freaking me out, here, Abs," Tony stated.

"I sent them to you. Well, I prayed a lot. I knew neither of you would listen to me, so I prayed for help. I saw them all together in a dream and asked them to talk to you. I never really thought it would happen. Call it a Christmas miracle," Abby replied. "Now it's up to you. Here Gibbs, you're gonna need this."

Abby handed the mistletoe to Gibbs and kissed his cheek. She then turned her attention to Tony. She kissed his cheek then said softly, "I want you to be happy, so don't blow this."

Tony and Gibbs watched Abby walk away while whistling "Jingle Bells". They turned back to each other and laughed … then they kissed. It was then that Tony noticed Gibbs holding the mistletoe over his head.


End file.
